This Oct. 30, 2012, photo provided by New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) shows a flooded escalator in the South Ferry station of the No. 1 subway line, in lower Manhattan, after Superstorm Sandy passed through New York. Floodwaters that poured into New York's deepest subway tunnels may pose the biggest obstacle to the city's recovery from the worst natural disaster in the transit system's 108-year history but on Wednesday Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced limited subway service will resume on Thursday.
Associated Press

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- West Michigan’s office furniture companies temporarily closed their Manhattan showrooms as New York City begins the recovery from Hurricane Sandy that caused an estimated $20 billion in damage across the East Coast.

“We are taking it day by day,” said Adam Russo, a Haworth spokesman.

The Holland office furniture-maker’s showroom, 125 Park Ave., had been closed since Monday, but reopened about 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31, Russo said. The space wasn’t damaged by the storm, but there was flooding in the commercial district where it is located.

But with cell phone service out and the subway system compromised, it has been difficult for both employees to get to work and customers to do business, the company said.

Zeeland-based Herman Miller also closed its Manhattan showroom, at 1177 6th Ave., on Monday. Spokesman Ron Reeves said he couldn’t provide any more details.

Steelcase told MLive that its New York office and showroom at Columbus Circle did not lose power, but remains closed because most employees are unable to commute into Manhattan.

The Grand Rapids company's DesignTex subsidiary, based in Brooklyn and Seacaucus, NJ, reopened on Wednesday with limited staff after a power outage shuttered offices on Tuesday. Most sales people in the affected regions continue to work from home.

In Pennsylvania, Steelcase’s regional distribution center in Hazleton reopened Tuesday morning but did not make deliveries.

Steelcase says its representatives have been in contact with customers and dealers along the East Coast, and has developed plans to deliver product when the receiving end is ready for it. At this point, Steelcase doesn’t expect Sandy to result in a significant disruption to its business despite the storm’s historic damage.

Ada-based Amway reports that it is doing all it can for the company’s more than 100,000 Independent Business Owners (IBOs) living in the area affected by Hurricane Sandy, as well as a small number of employees living and working in the New York and Washington D.C. area.

“Our first priority has been to reach out to determine if everyone is OK, and reports so far indicate that all are safe," said Sandy Spielmaker, vice president of sales for Amway North America.

The company is taking donations for the American Red Cross its website, amway.com, and Amway Corporation will match up to $100,000 for all IBOs and employees who donate to the Red Cross through Amway, Spielmaker said.

She added that the company is holding orders in Ada until East Coast terminals are operating or alternatives are identified.

“We're committed to supporting our IBOs and employees in their lives and their businesses through this difficult time,” Spielmaker said.

Wyoming-based Gordon Food Service, which serves the East Coast with a Boston-based operation, hasn’t been impacted by storm damage.

Meijer says Sandy also won’t have impact on its ability to supply its chain of Midwest stores from Ohio to Illinois.

The Walker-based retailer is donating $25,000 to the American Red Cross for its efforts along the East Coast.

At the beginning of the year, Meijer donated $350,000 to Red Cross agencies in the Midwest to ensure needed resources were in hand in advance of local disasters or emergencies.